VIKTOR.“Mummy!”I watch as the little girl runs up to Rowan. There is a bright warm smile on Rowan’s face as she lifts the girl up into the air.“Why are you out, Jhenelle? You are supposed to be in class,” she says to the girl.“I finished my work first, so Mr. Tom let me out to play.”“Rally, now? It looks like I have a little genius in my hands.”“Genus? He called me that. What does it mean?”“Genius. Say it with me, genius.”“Geeenius.”“Good girl.”“What does it mean?”“It means… someone that is very good at a skill or subject. Better than others.”“Really? I am a genus?” the kid asks with wonder in her eyes and voice.“Yes, baby. You are.”“That is cool.”“It is. Have you seen our new guest,” she says as she changes the subject. “His name is Louis.”“Hello, Mr. Louis. I am Jhenelle. Mummy's baby girl.”The others laugh at her introduction and I can't help but smile.She is adorable.“Hello Jhenelle, it is a pleasure to meet you.”“Did they kick you out too?” she asks as she sta
DOMINIC OBSIDIAN PACK.“What do you mean you can't find them?!” I snap as I fling the placeholder at the wolf before me. “How do large numbers of wolves just up and vanish and no one has a clue?!”“They covered their tracks well,” he responds, his head bowed low. “Not well enough that we didn't find out about them. Have you figured out who was involved? What they were involved in?”“They were the Alphas of some of the packs in the west. We also discovered that they had a few meetings with Alpha Viktor -”“Viktor? They met up with Viktor?! What for?!”“We… we don't know, Alpha.”“Useless… you are all useless,” I snap. “Get out!”They all scramble out of my office like a bunch of spineless mutts.Viktor.Why is it always him?It was purely coincidence that I had found out that some of the Alphas were planning an attack.In none other Than the Winter Wolf Coalition.I had reached out to them, offering my assistance but they had brushed me off.“... there is no such plan, Alpha Dominic…
ROWAN Knock! Knock!“Come in,” I call out quietly, my head bowed over my desk, still preoccupied with the reports and maps before me.“Hi, mummy!” Jhenelle’s voice calls out, bringing me out of my thoughts. “We brought lunch!”We?I lift my head to see her as well as Louis walking with trays.What is going on here?“Why are you two together?” I ask.“Louis said he wanted to make you lunch and asked me to help. He wanted to make your favorite meal,”she answers as she waddles up to my desk to place her tiny tray. “Can we eat together?”“i-”“We made Pasta Amatriciana,” he says, the r’s rolling of his tongue in a smooth timbre. “I hope you don't mind.”He places the tray and removes the napkin over it to replace a wide set of plates with the steaming dish.The hot red sauce catches my attention first as it clings to each strand with bits of crispy guanciale bits peeking out. In the steam that rises from it I can smell the aroma of garlic and onion mixed with the cheese that is artfully
VIKTOR “I still don't get why I have to come with you,” I say as I get into one of the black trucks with her.It is a hilux truck, with a stunning, shining black paint coat, with sleek tires and a purring engine and there are three others ready to go.I know had seen it before but I am astounded by their wealth. No ordinary rogue settlement can be this well organized and well to do without a structure.It was foolish of us to look down on them and even more foolishly of those wolves to think they are easy to kill.Or subdued.“What is there not to get!”she asks as she closes the door after her. “Are you not curious to see if any of those wolves might recognize you?”Not particularly, no.Not if it jeopardizes my chance of getting my mate to look at me with something other than suspicion.“I am, but how sure are you that the wolves out there are from the same pack as the ones that you found?”“I am not. Which is why I am going with a company of twelve wolves.”Fair point.The ride to
VIKTOR “What do you mean she is missing?” I demand as I stare into her eyes, the same panic and fear I feel at her words is reflected in hers.I might have just known Jhenelle for a few days but I swear I could kill for her already.Even more so, since she is my mate's child.“What happened?” Alden asks as he hurries over to us.“Rina… Rina called, she said the teacher that was… that was meant to watch her can't find her. They have been looking for her since we left!” she says.“Damn it!”“Where could she have gone to?” I ask, trying to keep everyone focused.“The cameras caught her sneaking into the back of one of the jeeps. But when I checked them now, she is nowhere to be found.”“So that means she is somewhere in this town,” I deduce. “The jeeps were all packed in front of the building, right?”“Yeah,” Alden responds.“And while we were there, no one saw anything,” I continue. “Which means she must have gotten out when we came over here.”“So, she can't be far away,” Alden summar
VIKTOR.“Alpha?”Whirling around with inhuman speed, I catch sight of Andre, my beta looking at me with disbelief and joy, waring in his eyes.“Alpha!” he exclaims as he rushes towards me. “You are alive!”“Shh!” I snap. “Keep it down.”“What?” he asks in confusion as he watches me take several stones back.I can't afford to show familiarity to him. Rowan might be watching us right now.“Don't call me that!” I say. “Are you okay, Viktor? Do you know me? Maybe I should get..”“No, don't get anyone,” I say as I keep my distance. “I am alright, just undercover. So, you do not know me, I am not alpha, my name is Louis.”“Louis.”“Hmm.”“Alp- sorry, Louis, are you being threatened? No, that can't be it. Who can dare threaten you?”Andre, in addition to being my beta, is also my best friend, a feat I still don't understand how it is possible.He is a talker.And can be quite dense.“I said stop talking to me!” I whisper in annoyance as I begin walking away from him.“What do you mean I sho
VIKTOR“Well?” Alden asks into the silence. “Why do you look so shocked?”“Because you shocked me, you asshole,” I retort as I think fast. “What? Were you just waiting at the door to pull that move?” I demand.“Kind of, yes,” he answers. “So, who is he?”“I don't know who he is!” I snap at him. “This is the first time I am seeing him.”“But you two were talking.”“I-”“Um, excuse me?” Andre calls out as he walks up to us.Please, please don't mess this up.“Yes?” Alden asks as he switches his dead goldfish stare.“I can see that I have caused some …tension,” Andre answers. “I am sorry, I didn't mean to come between you two.”“What?!”“Excuse me?! There is nothing going in between us!” Alden snaps.“Oh, okay. Um, it is just… uh, you kept questioning him like a lover, so I just thought…”“You thought wrong!” I snap back.This asshole.Lovers?Really?“Okay! Okay, I am sorry. Your argument was just… nevermind. I don't know this man, okay?” he says, turning to Alden. “I saw him moving aro
ROWAN.“Mummy!”The familiar cry has nme turning toward it to see Jhenelle in the arms of a stranger, heading towards me.“Jhenelle!” I cry out as I hurry over to them, snatching her from the man's hands the moment I reach them and hugging her violently. “Where have you been?! How could you leave without telling anyone? Do you have any idea how worried we were?!”“I am sorry mummy,” she says as she tightens her arms around me. “I just wanted to come with you and see outside.”“Still, you do not do that. You don't leave without telling anyone,” I scold before taking a deep breath. “I am glad you are okay, but you know you are in big trouble, right young lady? You are so grounded.”“I know. I am sorry.”“I know you are sorry.+,” I say before looking up at the man. “Thank you so much. So very much. You have no idea how grateful I am.”“I can fathom an idea. I am glad to be of help,”he says with a smile.“How… How did you know she was missing? That we were looking for her?”“I ran into t